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Abraham Van Helsing (Bram Stoker's Dracula)
Professor Abraham van Helsing is one of the main characters in the novel Dracula by Bram Stoker. He was an elderly European scholar who had delved into "occult" matters sufficiently to offer some assistance when the affliction of vampirism first appeared in England in the late 19th century. He was no action hero, and was reliant on the young wooers of Lucy Weston (Dr. Seward, Arthur Hamilton, and Quincey P. Morris) as well as the recovered Jonathan Harker, to carry out the more demanding physical tasks of vampire-hunting. In his appearances in the older Universal Dracula cycle, played by Edward van Sloan, he more or less followed this pattern, although his tendency to make grotesque demands upon the younger men working with him was somewhat toned down. In the later Hammer cycle, as portrayed by Peter Cushing, he began to be more directly involved in the combat with the Undead, this taken to near-ridiculous lengths when he demonstrated a knowledge of Kung Fu in "The Legend of the Seven Golden Vampires." he was also played by Anthony Hopkins in the 1992 movie bram stokers dracula. In the 2004 film, "Van Helsing". Portrayed by Hugh Jackman in this film with some differences from the Stoker character. Known as Gabrial Van Helsing he is a much younger version who works for a group called the Knights of the Holey Order who hunt evil monsters and vanquished them from the Earth established by the Pope. Van Helsing has faced many enemies even a monstrous Mr. Hyde who he defeated in Paris in Notre Dame but after so many killing he is passed off as a murderer and became the most wanted man in Europe. After facing Mr. Hyde he is sent on a new assignment to hunt the evil Count Dracula, the lord of all vampires. With is sidekick Carl Van Helsing heads to Translyvannia to help Anna Valerous fight against snarrling Werewolves, the monsterous Frankenstien Monster, Count Dracula's three evil vampire brides, and the master of all evil himself, the dark lord of vampires, Count Dracula. History Early life Abraham was born into a Catholic Dutch family in the mid 1800s. As he came into adulthood he married and settled down to start a family as he studied several fields of science, medicine, physics, and psychology. His family was wracked with tragedy when Van Helsing's only son passed away. The passing drove his wife mad to the point that she became dead to Abraham, yet his status as a devout Catholic prevented him from divorcing her. Abraham continued his academic studies to receive degrees and doctorates in several fields including medicine, philosophy, and scientific study. In the course of his career, Van Helsing became a professor and took on students. Among these students is a John Seward who would one day become a doctor himself. During an incident involving a knife that had come into contact with gangrene, Van Helsing was cut and poisoned by it. Thinking quick, Seward sucked the poison out and saved Abraham, a favor he wouldn't soon forget. Events of Bram Stoker's Dracula When the woman Seward cared most about, Lucy Westenra fell ill with a mysterious disease, Seward sent a telegram to Van Helsing requesting his knowledge of rare and obscure diseases to help cure her. Remembering his debt, Abraham made great haste in coming to their aid. Upon arriving, Van Helsing was instantly able to see Lucy's ailment was that of a Vampire's bite, but wary that Seward and his companions would find it crazy, he refused to immediately tell them his diagnosis. Van Helsing had been learning about the Vampire for quite a while, though the field of study is difficult to grasp for those who have no first-hand experience with them. In an effort to save Lucy, Abraham attempted several blood transfusions on the girl, but their attempts to save her were appearing for naught. Abraham then left for Amsterdam giving them explicit instructions to watch over Lucy and her family. Instructions that never arrived with those whom they belonged. Upon returning, he found that Lucy had passed away from a wolf attack in the middle of the night, and had been buried. Despite the apparent death and burial however, several reports began to come in of a beautiful woman matching Lucy's description attacking innocents in the night. Finally realizing he couldn't hide the truth any longer, Van Helsing confided in Seward, and Lucy's other suitors Quincy Morris and Arthur Holmwood about the Vampire's curse and that their dear Lucy is now among the undead. The men soon found Lucy and, after a heated confrontation succeeded in killing her with a beheading, allowing Lucy to finally rest. At that point, Jonathan Harker joined the entourage after barely surviving an encounter with their previously unknown enemy. Now knowing his name, Count Dracula, the group set out to destroy the vampire once and for all. Now in London, the horrid Count went to accomplish one of his goals, to take Mina Harker for himself. Having seen a photograph of her and Jonathan, Dracula found he desired her, and in the middle of the night he succeeded in biting her. He proceeded to drink from her and feed to her his own blood, making her into a vampire as well, but bonding her to himself as his servant Vampire. Knowing time is short, and the only way to save Mina is to defeat Dracula, Van Helsing lead a frantic search for the Count. Due to her telepathic link to the No-Life King, they were able to use Mina to trace Dracula's steps, finally finding his whereabouts after putting her into a hypnotic state. Gallery Bram Stoker's Dracula - Abraham Van Helsing protrayed by Edward Van Sloan in the 1931 film.png|Abraham Van Helsing protrayed by Edward Van Sloan in the 1931 film Bram Stoker's Dracula - Abraham Van Helsing protrayed by Peter Cushing in the 1958 film.png|Abraham Van Helsing protrayed by Peter Cushing in the 1958 film Bram Stoker's Dracula - Abraham Van Helsing protrayed by Bernard Archard in the 1968 film.png|Abraham Van Helsing protrayed by Bernard Archard in the 1968 film Bram Stoker's Dracula - Abraham Van Helsing protrayed by Herbert Lom in the 1970 film.png|Abraham Van Helsing protrayed by Herbert Lom in the 1970 film Bram Stoker's Dracula - Abraham Van Helsing protrayed by Nigel Davenport in the 1973 film.png|Abraham Van Helsing protrayed by Nigel Davenport in the 1973 film Bram Stoker's Dracula - Abraham Van Helsing protrayed by Frank Finlay in the 1977 BBC miniseries.png|Abraham Van Helsing protrayed by Frank Finlay in the 1977 BBC miniseries Bram Stoker's Dracula - Abraham Van Helsing protrayed by Laurence Olivier in the 1979 film.png|Abraham Van Helsing protrayed by Laurence Olivier in the 1979 film Bram Stoker's Dracula - Abraham Van Helsing protrayed by Walter Ladengast in the 1979 film Nosferatu the Vampyre.png|Abraham Van Helsing protrayed by Walter Ladengast in the 1979 film Nosferatu the Vampyre Bram Stoker's Dracula - Abraham Van Helsing protrayed by Anthony Hopkins in the 1992 film.png|Abraham Van Helsing protrayed by Anthony Hopkins in the 1992 film Bram Stoker's Dracula - Abraham Van Helsing protrayed by Mel Brooks in Drcaula - Dead and Loving It.png|Abraham Van Helsing protrayed by Mel Brooks in Drcaula: Dead and Loving It Bram Stoker's Dracula - Abraham Van Helsing protrayed by Rutger Hauer in the 2012 film Dracula 3D.png|Abraham Van Helsing protrayed by Rutger Hauer in the 2012 film Dracula 3D Bram Stoker's Dracula - Abraham Van Helsing as he appears in Dracula - Sovereign of the Damned by Toei Animation.png|Abraham Van Helsing as he appears in Dracula: Sovereign of the Damned by Toei Animation Bram Stoker's Dracula - Abraham Van Helsing as he appears in Marvel Comics 616 universe.png|Abraham Van Helsing as he appears in Marvel Comics 616 universe Bram Stoker's Dracula - Abraham Van Helsing as he appears in the Dracula 2013 TV series.png|Abraham Van Helsing as he appears in the Dracula 2013 TV series Bram Stoker's Dracula - Abraham Van Helsing protrayed by David Moroni in the 2014 TV series Penny Dreadful.png|Abraham Van Helsing protrayed by David Moroni in the 2014 TV series Penny Dreadful Bram Stoker's Dracula - Abraham Van Helsing using his turn undead ability on Lucy as seen in the 1993 video game Dracula Unleashed.png|Abraham Van Helsing using his turn undead ability on Lucy as seen in the 1993 video game Dracula Unleashed Bram Stoker's Dracula - Abraham Van Helsing protrayed by John Arthur Olson in the 1993 video game Dracula Unleashed.png|Abraham Van Helsing protrayed by John Arthur Olson in the 1993 video game Dracula Unleashed Trivia * Abraham Van Helsing is one of the select few characters within the Bram Stoker's Dracula novel who is physically described in one place by Mina Harker. * Van Helsing inspired the Ravenloft hero Rudolph Van Richten. 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